week we'll be having a test. So no cheating on this test, I'm not trying to make it easy on you guys, but follow along and I hope the Word of God will help you out in this journey as we're trying to disciple you guys in your evangelism and it will be, you know, hopefully it will help you be more confident in your evangelism. And as Mikey will begin with presuppositional apologetics, on our approach with the lost. With the lost, we don't use, we don't appeal to the world the way they want us to appeal. We don't use philosophy of this world convince them of God's already existence that they believe in. We stand on the word of God. And as believers, science is great for believers. We love to show evidence of Noah's Ark. We love to show the evidence of God through creation. But in the unbeliever, the Bible says that the power of the gospel and the power of salvation is in his word. and not the cunning craftiness of the philosophy of man or intellect doesn't convince someone of God's existence. It's the Holy Spirit working through his inspired word. Mike? Well, good morning, and I just wanted to thank you all for taking me on as your missionary here. I really do appreciate that, and I will try to be faithful in all that is given to me and how the Lord leads me. Let's go to the Lord in prayer before we start here. Heavenly Father, we do thank you, Lord, for this day. We thank you, Lord, that you've given us another day of life. Thank you that we can come here and we can hear your word. Lord, that we can worship you. Please let us worship you in the beauty of holiness. May all that we say and do bring glory and honor to your holy name. Thank you, Lord, for these precious moments of time that we can go into your word, Lord, and that you have given us your word and that we can go out into this world and not have be subject to someone with an argument, but we can stand on the truth of God's Word as we go out forth. So thank you, Lord, for giving us this sword of your Spirit, Lord, to go out there and to be faithful men and women. For your glory, I pray in Jesus' precious name. Amen. If you want to follow along, you can open up your Bibles to 1 Peter 3. And this is really... This verse here is kind of the call to apologetics, what you'll see. It's kind of the go-to verse when we talk about apologetics. And it's 1 Peter 3, verse 15. 1 Peter 3, verse 15. It says, but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. So when you hear the word apologetics, it sounds like, do we go around apologizing for what we believe? No. No, we don't do that. That's not what apologetics is. Apologia is the Greek, and it is a reasonable defense of the Christian Christianity. That's what we give. We give a reasonable defense. And, you know, when I was looking at this verse, though, it's so quick. We're very quick to say, OK, what is the apologetics? We're ready to give a defense. And we say, be ready always to give an answer to everyone that hopes or everyone that asks of you a reason of the hope that is in you. And a lot of times we say, yeah, that's it. But we have to look at the first part of this verse here that is so important. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts. And what that means is we need to set apart God in our heart. But that is not just an internal thing. Here, if we're sanctifying, it's going to be an external thing that goes on in our lives. So we're going to glorify God. We're going to honor Him. Our affections are towards Him. And therefore, it's going to overflow into our faithfulness in being men and women who are going to stand up for truth, stand up for what is right. And real quick, just listen to this. In Jude here, this is the way, in my Bible, it opens up like this. And I think it's a really good introduction that will help us. And it's really the battle cry. And in Jude, it says this also. He says, to earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered unto the saints. So we're given this command to contend. But listen to what it says. It says, fight, contend, do battle. When apostasy arises, when false teachers emerge, when the truth of God is attacked, it is time to fight for faith. Only believers who are spiritually in shape can answer the summons. At the beginning of his letter, Jude focuses on the believers' common salvation, but then feels compelled to challenge them to contend for the faith. The danger is real. False teachers have crept in. So it's a battle cry for us to want to contend for our faith. You know, I think about the world, the way the world is, that they can talk about just about anything. And Christians, it seems like when it comes time to talk about their faith, they seem to be kind of cowerish. And I don't know if this is right, but you can be anywhere and hear people talking about all kinds of nonsense So I think if we're we take this that we have the Word of God We have the power of God as we go out there. We can be faithful and not be fearful because we have the word of God. So that's just a quick brief of why we should be faithful. We are to contend. It's not wrong to have these discussions, spirited debates with people. It's actually, it's loving that we're going and we're showing that these worldviews that people have are wrong. And I think it's a kind gesture to go and to say, hey, listen. Think about what your belief system is. So to start off with apologetics, there are three types. There's actually more, but the three main types are classical, evidential, and presuppositional apologetics. And the first two, the classical and the evidential, they kind of use that we have to use reasoning to get to God, some evidence to get to God. And I personally am a presuppositional apologetic. That's what I prefer, presuppositionalism. But I believe that a Christian should be this, because I feel like as though it's not putting the evidence, it's not putting God, the one who's getting the information, the judge and jury of really, because where do we give evidence? Where do we mostly hear evidence? Court. The court of law, right? So what happens is, so we have the person here, when he's gonna get the evidence to say evidentialism, they believe that we have to show an overwhelming amount of evidence and then people will understand and come to God. And we say, okay. But the problem with that is that if There's a court, and we give the evidence, right? We want the judge to see it, we want the jury to see it, so they can come to a kind of a what's right here in this situation. So what happens is when we have an unbeliever, a God-hating person, and we give them the evidence, we say, well, look, look at all these things that are overwhelming. What we're doing there is we're making that person who hates God to begin with, we're making them the judge and the jury of the evidence that's given to them. And, you know, I think about it. So, you know, you've heard people say, well, we'll just read the Bible and see if it's true. Well, no, the Bible is true whether you read it or not. But the thing is, OK, so let's say we say that to a a homosexual, we say, listen, just read the Bible and see if it's true. And so he reads the Bible and he gets to Romans and it says, what men with men doing what is shameful and not to even be spoken of, vile affection. And he goes, well, the Bible's not true. So we're making him the judge and the jury in that. And we don't, So with those that we reason to God and say in evidentialism and classical, but presuppositional apologetics is the beginning. It's God's word, right? And that's what we stand on. And what it is actually is that our presupposition is that God exists and the Bible is true. And we say, It doesn't matter how the unbeliever receives that. We're saying this is our presupposition that we're standing upon. We're not letting the unbeliever become the judge here and put God on trial. Who did that? Pilate did that. He put Jesus on trial, the truth. Jesus said, I bear witness of the truth. And if Pilate didn't repent, he's in hell. And so evidentialism started in the 18th century. And there was two guys that kind of, around the 18th century, 17th, 18th century, it was by two guys that made it famous. I think his name was Richard Feldman and Earl Coney. Those two guys made it. But it's the thought of, you know, we show enough evidence and we can win people to our side believing that there is a God. But as Christians, like we said, we do love the evidence. We're not against evidence. I mean, I love to see when they show me the complexities of the world. And I see how the earth is just the right distance from the sun and my thumb is placed in just the proper thing. I like those things. But I'm not there to give this to unbelievers in a sense of put God on trial. The classical, so that's the evidential presupposition is that we believe that and know that God exists and everybody knows that. It's Romans 1. Romans 1 tells us that in the presupposition. It says, although they knew God, they did not glorify God. It says the invisible attributes are clearly seen by them that are made, even as eternal power and Godhead. So they are without excuse. There's no excuse for them. You know, the Bible says, the fool says in his heart that there is no God. Well, why is he a fool? because he knows the truth and he suppresses it in his unrighteousness. You know, you wouldn't call someone a fool if they were to do something and they didn't know it was wrong. They just didn't know. They were ignorant. They just didn't know. So you wouldn't say, hey, you're a fool. Why you put salt in your tea? No, you'd say you didn't know. So I think there's a difference, but the fool says in his heart that there is no God. But we say as pre-subsist, we say, no, he even knows. Now, he may not know the degree of salvation. He may not know the way of salvation, but he has enough knowledge of God to convict him, to condemn him, because it says he is without excuse. So when we go out there, we want to tell them the truth. We want them to know that, hey, you're not an atheist. There's no such thing as an agnostic. Everybody knows that God exists. So this presuppositional way is probably new to a lot of people. When I first heard it, I was like, there's no way I'm going to be able to do this. But it's real easy. Believe what the Bible says. That's how easy it is. And my friend went up to a famous apologist and he said, I can't, I don't know how to, this looks too overwhelming for me. He says, all I know how to do is answer with God's word. And he said, you got it. That's it. That's what we do. We answer with the word of God. That has to be our foundation. And we'll get to that. I'll get to the sufficiency of scripture as we go on here. So we have the three. It's just an introduction to the three types of classical also. We have evidential, presubstantial, and classical. The cosmological. a position that if there's a cause, there has to be a first cause, and God is that first cause. If there's design and order and complexity in the universe, there has to be a designer. And morality, too. If there's a moral law, then there has to be a moral law giver, therefore God. And so that's what they would say. But here, so we have the three basic, like I said, I'm a presuppositionalist, and we'll continue on from there. And so what, if you will, turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 10. And we look at verses three through five. He says, for though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. So everybody has a worldview. And a lot of these worldviews, if it's not a Christian worldview, then it's putting itself above that. It's exalting itself. It's their little stronghold, if you will, their belief system, the worldview. A worldview is we all have presuppositions. Beliefs that we assume from the beginning is what our worldview would be, something that we assume from the beginning, things that we presuppose to be true. For example, if I were to have a dinosaur bone and I put it on the table, and I'm sitting here with an evolutionist, he's gonna say millions of years. And as a Christian, I'm gonna say thousands of years. So we have presuppositions in our worldviews. And we have a battle going on in our world for worldviews, naturalism, evolution, postmodernism, false religions. But in actuality, there's really only two types of worldviews. It's the biblical God, his view, and the unbelievers and false religions. But the Christian worldview is the only valid worldview that we can go to. Because without God, you can't make sense of your world. God is the pre-supposition. He's the foundation of truth, of logic, of reasoning. All the other worldviews have to take from the Christian worldview. Our worldview is the one that is supreme because it's founded upon God and his word. Our worldview. I believe in logic, science, reasoning, mathematics. But it's all comes from God and we have to start there. Everybody wants to say, oh, yeah, you know, what about science? What about science? Can't we go with that? I'm not against science, I like good science. Not science fiction, not evolution. Science that is good, but science changes. And therefore, truth can't change. Truth is truth. I believe science is us, a lot of times, is just reading God's thoughts after him, and we discover stuff. Science always seems to be changing. So that's not mathematics, that's from God. These things are from God. Logic, where do we get that? That's from God, the God of logic. So the problem is, in these other worldviews, A lot of time, it's arbitrary. It's what they believe, their preference. It must be consistent. In order for worldly to be right, it has to be consistent, no contradictions. An example of that is Islam. Islam will say that the words of God cannot be corrupted. And it also says, believe the Bible, believe the Injil. So therefore, their first argument against it is they say, well, the Bible's been corrupted. Like, no, the words of Allah, God, their God, cannot be corrupted. Our God, the God of the Bible, his words are true. Everything in it is truth. So a Christian worldview has to be based upon knowledge. Knowledge is justifiable truth. That's the basis. You know, it's interesting when you go to these public campuses and colleges and we talk about the truth of God's word, people laugh and they're like, well, you believe in a book written by ancient sheep herders. You need to get with the times, you need to get with what's going on today. That's old news. But the problem is when I start to talk to them about their beliefs, I'll ask them, I'll say, do you believe in truth? And they say, well, certainly I believe in truth. I said, what's truth? Well, truth is what we can see and Evidence and so the problem is is that I say okay, so you have to employ your senses and your reasoning And they say yeah, I say how do you know you're you have valid reasoning if we're just evolutionary pond scum and stardust that has evolved you don't get you don't get truth from that and You have to start with the God of truth. And here, not what's knowledge, justifiable truth. And it says, in order to know anything, I tell him, is that you'd have to know everything or someone who does. And God, who knows everything, makes me know things with certainty. So I have certainty. So I can go out there and tell people the truth. that this is what the Word of God says. And ultimately, I'm not just giving my opinion. I'm saying this is God's Word. And I tell them that, yeah, you know things. It's because God makes you know things. That's the only reason you know stuff. And, you know, they say, Oh, I can't believe that. And so I would say to him, sometimes I'll say, do you believe that an all powerful God can reveal himself in such a way that his creatures could know him? And they say, yeah, an all powerful God. Could he write a book? Say, yeah, he's all powerful. I said, so I have an avenue of truth. I have God and his word. I have, I fulfill that. And so I'm able to stand there and tell him, listen, that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. So in order to know things, you have to start here. You have to start with God. And once we do that, and once we can use the presuppositional apologetic approach to them to stop the mouth, Because you can go round and round all day long with apologetics when you have someone out there. And it's just back and forth. And that's not a bad thing because every time we do something and say something, we're shutting down their worldview. But we're not there really to bash them over the head and have them run. we want to engage in, but I believe that with the presuppositional approach, it stops the mouth, and now I can bring the gospel in. Now I can show them the problem that they face, that they're going to stand before the God that they know exists. Because this is why our presupposition is that we know that they know God exists. So we're saying, You're going to stand before the God you know exists, and you're going to be without excuse, and you're going to be guilty, and you're not going to say when you see Him, now I know you exist, God. No, you're going to be guilty of the sins you committed against the God that you know exists. Everybody knows that, and we have to remember that because it's easy to just go, hey, You know, OK, you believe that, but not put the Bible aside. Let's put your Bible aside and let's talk about, let's say, no, I can't do that because that's my authority. That's my the highest standard that I can appeal to. I can't appeal to anything else. If I use anything else, that becomes my authority. So it has to be the word of God. We have to stand upon that. And in that there is no neutrality. No one's neutral in this. And we can't be. Because people want to get us, let's get on even ground here. Let's get on level ground together. No. There's things as a Christian that we stand for, and we're not going to give that up. The sanctity of life. We're saying that at conception, a person is created, and that is a person. And we're not going to give that up. We're not going to say it's a fetus, it's a clump of cells, even though fetus is a child. But those arguments, we're like, no, we're going to stand on the truth of God's word that life is given from God. We're not going to believe evolution. We're going to say, in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. We're going to stand upon that. Homosexuality and transgenderism. We're going to say it's sin. We're not going to say love is love. We're going to say, you know, two consenting adults can love each other. No, we're going to say it goes against God, it's vile affections, and it's sin, transgenderism. In the beginning, God created them male and female, and we're going to stand upon that. And you know, with the evidential part of things is, if we give evidence to somebody like this, who hates God, who's doing everything against God, how much evidence is going to be enough for them? I mean, what's going to satisfy them? You know, we went to the Reason Rally. It's really should be the unreasonable rally, but it's all the atheists they gathered in Washington, D.C. I went to two of them, they've had two so far, and I go there and I engage these guys. But I remember someone asking one of the guys, I don't know if it was Aaron Ra, one of the other atheists, but one of these famous atheists, and he said, how much evidence would you need convert and if I was able to give it to you would you convert and they said no so it's not a it's not a it's not a head reason issue it's a heart issue it's the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked so so that's not the the issue here, it's the heart. So anyway, and like I said, science, science changes. And who are we going to believe? These scientists that hate God? I mean, I'm not a scientist, so I don't know if what they're telling me is right. And if I look at the journals and I see all these things and I go, well, these guys are PhDs and There it must be true. No, I'm going to say I stand on the word of God. I can't just accept anyone who has a an argument or believe something, because a lot of times these guys don't even they don't even care about God. So they hate God. And so I'm not going to trust them. I'm going to trust God's word. I'm going to stand up on that. Turn with me to Hebrews. Chapter four. Hebrews four. And this is a familiar verse also. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart." God's Word. So, you know, we live in a day where people would say, is Scripture sufficient? Is it a sufficient foundation for the Christian? And I have to say, without a doubt. Most apologists would disagree with you. And nuts, then they won't tell you that, but they'll disagree by appealing far more to evidentialists and say, what you're doing is circular reasoning, and so they appeal to their intellect. And in doing so, they're denying that faith is a gift, repentance is a gift, and grace is a gift, and only through the gospel can the elect be called. My sheep will hear no other voice but the word. Right, and that's why I want to stay with the Word, because the Word is the power. God's Word has the power. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. That's what changes the heart. Not me showing the complexity of the eyeball. Like I said, we're not against that. We're not against how great God is and what He created. And I don't want to say it in a mocking way, but I'm saying that I think it's putting the cart before the horse. I think we need to stand on the Word of God first and foremost. That's our foundation. 2 Timothy tells us, he says, all scripture is God-breathed, is inspired by God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be fully equipped So we go out there standing on the foundation of God's word, and we're fully equipped. We're not at the mercy of a guy who has an argument. We're not at the mercy of someone who believes in evolution, someone who believes in, you know, millions of years. We're not at their mercy. We stand on the scripture, on the word of God. Do you have a question? Well, I just wanted to say when I've been out there using God's word, people, Christians that I've known that say, we don't hit people over the head with God's word. No, we use God's word. But they're saying, oh, you don't go into all that. No, we use God's word. Yeah, I agree with you. And they're not reading God's word or trusting it that much. That's why they give those stupid comments. Yeah. And even in their churches, they don't use God's word much. Right. And they doubt it, and even people doubt it. And that's a good point. It's like, even though we have this, even though we have the Word of God, it's not a sledgehammer. It's not a sledgehammer. It's a tool that we show people the error of their way, that they need to stand on the Word of God. We're not there to bash people over and say, yeah, I won that battle. Won that fight out there that atheist that that evolutionist. No, that's not what yeah And we're not using this as to like say hey, we won the we won that argument. No, no, don't get me wrong I don't want to go around losing the arguments either and we have the truth So I but I'm not gonna be like yeah, I showed him and we walk away all puffed up But yet the guy walked away and he's going to hell we have to have a This has to be used in a way that's with compassion and used as a tool to bring people to Christ, to open their blind eyes. Jeremiah 23, 29, Is not my word like as a fire, saith the Lord, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? It is like a hammer, and it is like a sword, and it's the only thing that can break the hearted heart, and it's the only thing that can pierce The dividing that can divide us under nothing else. It's a it's a it's a two-edged sword, right? When we go out there that two-edged sword It's either gonna it either It works two ways Some, it's the savor of life unto life, and others, it's death unto death. For some people, it'll soften their heart. For others, it will harden their heart. So it works in two ways. And we don't have to defend it. We don't have to be worried about it. We just let the Bible do. Spurgeon said, he said, The Bible's like a lion. He says, we don't have to go and protect the lion. Just let it out of its cage. It'll protect itself. The Bible is God's Word. We don't have to protect God's Word. Just let it out. It's going to do what it's meant to do. It's powerful. So we don't have to be fearful. We have God's Word. But people today, just like in the first Adam and Eve, what happened? Did God really say is what they say? And today, that's what people are still saying it. Does God really say? Some churches are even saying, God's still speaking as their rainbow flag is hanging on the front of their thing. No, God speaks through his word. That's the Word of God. If you want to hear God speak, read His Word. You want to speak out loud, read it out loud. And as a Bible-believing Christian, Scripture has to be our highest authority. Scripture gives us every guide we need for faith and conduct. Scripture gives us every truth we need for life and for godliness. Listen to the London Baptist Confession. This is in the first part, the first chapter, which is scripture, and it says this, it says, the whole counsel of God concerning everything essential for his own glory and man's salvation. Faith and life is either explicitly stated or by necessary inference contained in the holy scriptures. Nothing is ever to be added to Scriptures, either by new revelation of the Spirit or by human traditions. So everything that we need is in the Word of God, is in God's Word. It is our authority, and we must stand on it. Because whatever else we use, like I said, that becomes our authority. You know, people say we're on the college campuses, you know, prove that the Bible is true, but don't use the Bible. It's like, no, that'd be like saying, you know, I'm the world's strongest man. Oh, you are? Then prove it, but don't use your strength. I mean, no, I have to. And so I have to stand on it. And if we think about it, we look through scripture, you see how many men love the word of God. Job, he says, I desire your word more than my necessary food. David said, your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against you. Peter says, Like newborn babies longing for the pure milk of the Word so that by it you may grow. That's our desire is we want the Word of God. We believe that Scripture is sufficient. Why are you here today? You're here today, right? Because you believe that Scripture is sufficient. And you want to know more of it. And you want to grow in the grace of God. And you want to know more about His Word. And ultimately, Jesus Christ, our captain of our salvation, when he was at his worst, when he was at his lowest, when the devil came at him, what did he do? After fasting for 40 days, he said, the devil came at him, he says, turn these verses, it is written. It is written. That's it. So when we come before people, we can go to them and we could say it is written God's word. Another example is when a rich man died and went to hell and Lazarus was in his in in Abraham's bosom. He says, go tell Lazarus, go send someone to tell my brothers. He said, they have Moses and the prophets. They had God's word. And if they don't believe that, they're not going to believe if someone rise from the dead. Listen to this on Psalm 19. You can turn there if you want, but listen to Psalm 19. This really lays it out. verses 7 through 14, 19, 7 through 14. Listen to what it says. It says, the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure. Welcome, welcome. Hello. Yes, sir, you're fine you're fine yes, you are this will the God's words being taught I'm just gonna read this real quick The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever. The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover, by them thy servant warn and is keeping them is a great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright. I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer." God shows that His Word covers everything for life and for godliness, and that if we hide His Word in our heart, we can let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in His sight. God's Word doesn't just inform us, but it reforms us. It changes us from within. And so this helps us when we go out and we evangelize. We have the Word of God. We don't have to be fearful when we encounter people who have an argument. We can stand on the Word of God. I hope that was helpful for you. But praise God, we have His Word. It is a sword, and we can go out there wielding that sword. Oh, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. I hope we're all learning here and understand again in a couple of weeks where we will have a test on this. Thank you for the visitors coming to Sunday school. We're about to close in a second. So there are one of those will be on the test is the three types of apologetics. Keep in mind classical one to evidential list. And thirdly, the presupposition list. The classical is, leans on their reasoning, evidence in logic, evidentialist, leans on just evidence in the presuppositional, stands on the word of God. There are two thoughts in there, apologetic. You're either trying to go to school outside the word of God, outside the truth, right? I'm wanting to learn everything else but the word of God to convince people of God's existence outside the word. I don't need that word. Then why did he come to church? If you're learning evangelism, not where God has instituted where you should learn it through his word, church coming to preach the word, and you're trying to go to another school to learn it, man, you got a problem there. Big foundation problem, I want you to think of this real quick before we close, is that When we put God in a courtroom, I want you to think about, we're standing where the unbeliever's thinking is. Proving God's existence. But the Bible says... There's no such thing as an atheist. The Bible says they suppress the truth in unrighteousness. There's no excuse for them on the day of judgment, and that they believe the Bible says, but they suppress it. That's where we stand, and it frustrates the unbeliever. It frustrates the professing atheist, because they want us to debate them the same ground that they're trying to debate the existence of God. If we go on, show me God exists. Okay, we are in a courtroom, we're gonna judge God's existence. I'm gonna show you why God exists, and then we're gonna listen to the unbeliever. God doesn't exist because of A, B, and C. Science says this, evolution says this, such as et cetera, et cetera. That's the worst place to begin your argument, right? We say no, God exists, you believe he exists, You suppress the truth in unrighteousness, and we begin by preaching the Word of God. And there's no greater conversion experience than using the law of the Lord. We'll begin that next week. The law of the Lord in evangelism is preaching condemnation to the unbelieving sinner who suppresses the truth and doesn't see their state. Convincing them of God's existence doesn't bring conviction either way. It doesn't show them their sin. You do that by using the—that's why the Old Testament says the law is perfect for converting souls. The New Testament brings the same idea that the Galatians says the law is our schoolmaster that leads us to Christ. It points us to Christ. It shuts our mouth. We have no excuse. We can't declare our own righteousness and goodness, and it points us to the only means of salvation, Jesus Christ. And so we begin with the unbeliever, with the Word. It's comforting to know you don't need to be a genius at knowing all the evidence of trying to prove God's existence outside of church, outside of another school, of a train of thought. No, your train of thought is through the Word. It frustrates the unbeliever, but it's foolish. It's the preaching of foolishness that confounds the wise. And power is in through his word to shatter the unbelieving heart and to pierce the soul of the unbeliever, to convict them in such a way that only through the word, there's power. No other word, not my word. There's no power in my word. And if I have to convince you of God's existence, what I'm, in essence, I'm saying, there's no, salvation is not a gift. It's intellectual essence. I can convince you enough to believe. And once through my evidence of convincing you of God's existence, and then that itself is the mental essence of salvation. No, the reason why you don't believe is because God hasn't granted you faith. And the reason why we do believe is because God has granted us faith. And that is alone. And we preach the word of God, and God's gonna save whoever he's gonna save. And we believe it through the word, we preach it through the word, and that's our foundation. Any other foundation is a imagination, we're appealing to our intellect, we're appealing to the same level the world is through vain philosophy and traditions and words that have no power. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, Lord, I thank you for Mike, who started us off to understanding the importance of presuppositional apologetics, that we stand upon your word, we believe your word, and that we don't appeal to our intellect to try to convince your existence. Lord, we know you exist. But the unbelievers, suppress the existence of you, Lord, because they are living a life of unrighteousness. Lord, one of the reasons why so many people don't want to come to you, Lord, is because the very sin they're in bondage to is what you're against. And they don't want to believe in a God that is against the sin they're in bondage to. Lord, help us to stand upon your word. as our final authority above any other authority. Lord, we thank you for your creation, how it declares your glory, and it's awe-inspiring to see all that you have done. Help us to understand things that are outside the word through your word and your word alone. We give you glory and praise, amen and amen. Thank you, guys.